V for Vendetta (****)

Viewing vendetta vindicated various vast views. The only thing that I had heard about this movie was that the Wachowski brothers wrote it and that their first assistant director on the Matrix movies directed it. I had stayed away from reviews on purpose even though most headlines I did read were positive.

Vendetta is a movie that made me wonder, “How the heck did this get released in our country?” It is an unapologetic attack at how we live right now. A film that not only has us rooting for a terrorist but makes us look at government satire and then say “wait a minute, this is not too far from what we see right now.”

While V is not an action packed film, the action that you do see in the movie is executed beautifully. The sword fighting, knifes, and guns all play like instruments in a big opera. The interesting part about the action is that even in the scenes that you do see action, it is all about enhancing the story and not driving it. The music in the film also fits the theme perfectly.

I have never seen the Professional, and the films that I have seen Natalie Portman on have shown me a mediocre actress at best. No, I am not an angry Star Wars geek by any stretch of the imagination, but until this movie I did not see Portman as a great performer. She did an excellent job with the Eve character. Showing vulnerability and strength in a very natural way was necessary for making this character really work and she truly delivered. Hugo Weaving as V was not only an excellent casting choice, but it made for some excellent inside jokes… not going to spoil anything here, lets just say the Matrix is quoted here and there. Weaving also was excellent acting behind a mask, I am amazed at how expressive a mask can be when used the right way.

While V’s political plot that mirrors what could happen (or has already happened) to our world is hard to miss making it an excellent movie, I look at it more as a true piece of art. It has been a while since a movie can be called art and this one really deserves the title. You have to love a movie that in today’s age of fear makes a terrorist the hero, but it also makes you root for him. If you have not seen this movie, go catch it at the theater.

I think it’s good as a psychological and philosophical exercise, but I’m not as sold on it as contemporary social commentary (which I will avoid getting too much in to because I am a guest on your site). Its insights to integrity (“the last inch” and all that) are very powerful.

It is watered down from the comic books, but I think they did all the could to fit the material in a couple of hours. The government officials are considerably more well fleshed out and much more three-dimensional. As far as the concent itself (the anti-government message), I think that was pretty well left in tact. If anything, it was less sympathetic to the fascists (because with the exception of Finch, none of them came across as human-beings in the film. They were ugly and mean people in the comic, but still people).

V is a terrorist? C’mon Logtar. Think about that. V is a vigilante for justice, a freedom fighter, a good citizen protecting his fellow citizens from a government that only wants to harm them.

In his first inaugural address (4 March 1861) Abe Lincoln said, “This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it.”

Is Abe Lincoln obviously a notorious terrorist too? Or is it like Abe said a “right”?

V is not a terrorist… The government are, obviously. Now, they have to use words like this in order to invoke fear into the citizens… Aka, if you’re not with us, you’re one of them. Therfore, people are lviing in fear. Afraid to loose whatever it is they hold. They know the biggest tool is to lie and inject more fear and that is what they are going to keep doing.
Shite, this has to be the best V comment i’ve ever given!
Precisely, the book differs from the movie. Both tells the own story in other ways but sadly anarchy is not mention much though the theme is the same. Makes people think hopefully.
Great review given. I don’t usually give long reviews like these!
Peace.

V for Vendetta was a surprise for me. I had never seen the comics so I had no experience with this series before this movie. I didn’t expect much from it but I was pleasantly surprised. This was deffinently worth watching. The movie had a great story with some action and humor sequences added in. I would deffinently recommend that people watch this movie.